<p>For example, if a student wrote about how he had to care for his ailing mother and thus had no EC’s how would the UC’s know if he was telling the truth?</p>
<p>I’m not encouraging dishonesty. I just want to know.</p>
<p>The UC system audits a random selection of applications - get caught, application cancelled. </p>
<p>If the facts turn up later, they can rescind the acceptance, even after you have started taking classes. If someone were dishonest, they would be gambling based on whether the contradictory information would come to light. The UCs are not flooding the planet with private detectives searching for years, but sometimes a news story or contradicting fact shows up, which might spur someone to look into the issue. </p>
<p>Can’t say the odds, but once you start down a path of intellectual dishonesty, sooner or later a copied paper or illegal notes in an exam or some future instance is likely to trip you up. Of course this is more of a comment about ethics and character than a direct answer to the question of ‘could someone get away with it’.</p>
<p>Actually, there are restrictions on what can be audited. The list was published in an article back in February: [UC</a> sleuths seek proof for glorious claims on admission applications - Inside Bay Area](<a href=“http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/localnews/ci_14310072]UC”>http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/localnews/ci_14310072)</p>
<p>Subject to Verification
Honor or award
Academic record
Outside course work
Athletics
Music, theater or art
Voluntary or paid employment, internship or community service
School, community or church-sponsored club, trip or project or university-sponsored outreach program</p>
<p>Not Subject to Verification
Disability
Financial hardship
Medical or emotional hardship
Death in the family
Citizenship/immigration status
Drug use
Legal problems
Sexual orientation
Other highly personal subject matters (e.g. marriage, divorce, pregnancy, adoption, etc.)</p>
<p>So technically, the UCs cannot ask you to verify hardship. Why the UCs allowed the list to be published is beyond me.</p>
<p>Regardless I don’t think I could live with myself if I falsified information. I probably underestimated my EC on my application now that I think about it but it’s worth having a clear conscious.</p>
<p>Good for you! If only everyone felt the same way; the world will be a better place!</p>